perennial
Lily of the Nile
Agapanthus africanus
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Lily of the Nile is an evergreen perennial hardy in zones 9–10. It grows 2–3 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide, so plant it 2 ft apart. Give it full sun to part sun and little water once established. It flowers blue in June to August. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the filler role: a flowering plant that fills the middle or front of the bed. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Agapanthus africanus
- Plant type
- Perennial, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 9 to 10
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Well-drained soil.
- Mature size
- 2–3 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide
- Spacing
- 2 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Medium
- Bloom
- Jun–Aug · blue
- Roles in a bed
- Filler
- Styles
- modern, classic, low water
- Deer resistance
- High: deer rarely eat it
- Pets
- Toxic to dogs and cats. Not on the ASPCA list; contains saponins and sap irritates mouths. Marked toxic as a precaution.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 1-gallon pot, typically $14–$24 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer until roots establish, then only during long dry spells.
- Pruning
- Remove spent stalks; clean up dead leaves in spring.
Sources: ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List (from general knowledge; not re-checked unless verification is web-checked); Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder and grower tags; State extension service guidance and USDA PLANTS distribution maps; Rutgers NJAES Landscape Plants Rated by Deer Resistance; Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States and state noxious weed lists; Typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box retail listings (estimate). Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Lily of the Nile, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthaperennial · zones 8–11
- African irisDietes iridioidesperennial · zones 8–11
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Shrubby yew pinePodocarpus macrophyllus var. makishrub · zones 8–10
- Upright rosemary 'Tuscan Blue'Salvia rosmarinus 'Tuscan Blue'shrub · zones 8–11
- Blanket flower 'Arizona Sun'Gaillardia × grandiflora 'Arizona Sun'perennial · zones 3–10
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Lily of the Nile: same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants